GSC 350 Natural Disasters:

Topics for Required Research Reports

(This is an incomplete list; see instructor if you have other specific ideas)

Volcanoes (you may choose a specific event or describe the history of the volcano itself)

1883 Krakatau

1980 Mt. Saint Helens

1991 Pinatubo (Philippines)

1999-2004 Popocateptl (Mexico)

Long Valley Caldera (Mammoth Lakes)

Mt. Mazama (Crater Lake)

Mont Pelee (1902 and other eruptions)

1985 Nevada del Ruiz, Columbia

Redoubt Volcano, Alaska (1989-1990)

Mount Rainier, Washington (1989-1990)

Stromboli, Italy

Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii (1960, 1986, 1990; recent activity)

Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii (1950, 1984)

Soufriere Hills, Montserrat (1997)

Nevada del Ruiz, Colombia (1985)

Nevada del Huila, Colombia (1994)

Casita Volcano, Nicaragua (1998)

Unzen Volcano, Japan (1991-1994)

Mount Vesuvius, Italy (79 A.D.)

Tambora Volcano, Indonesia (1815)

Mount Etna, Italy

Laki, Iceland (1783)

Vatnajakull, Iceland (1996); associated flooding

Earthquakes (you might focus on one event or present a synthesis of an earthquake-prone region that has suffered multiple events)

Recent earthquakes in Japan

1994 Northridge, CA

1992 Landers, CA

1989 Loma Prieta Bay Area “World Series”quake)

1964 Alaska

1985 Mexico City

1971 San Fernando

2001 Seattle

1906 San Francisco

1872 Owens Valley

1987 Whittier Narrows

New Madrid (1811-1812)

Hector Mine, California (2001)

Buj, India (2001)

Taiwan (1999)

Loma Prieta (1989)

Kobe, Japan (1995)

Long Beach (1933)

Chile (1960)

Tangshan, China (1976)

various India, Turkey, Iran, east Asia earthquakes

Tsunami

Sumatra (2004); associated subduction zone earthquake

Alaska (1964)

Chile (1960)

Alaska (1946)

Nicaragua (1992)

Java (1994)

Grand Banks (1929)

Lituya Bay, Alaska (1958)

Lisbon, Portugal (1755)

Sanriku, Japan (1896)

New Guinea (1998)

Krakatau (1883)

Landslides/Dam Failures

1928 St. Francis Dam disaster

1963 Vaiont Dam disaster (Italy)

1925 Gros Ventre, Wyoming

Palos Verdes Peninsula/Point Fermin/Portuguese Bend, California

1996 Yosemite Park

Usoy, Tajikistan (1911)

Gros Ventre, Wyoming (1925)

Thistle, Utah (1983)

Madison Canyon Landslide, Hebgen Lake, Montana, 1959

Baldwin Hills Dam failure, southern California

Hurricanes and Typhoons (Some more may be added to the list this summer)

Myranmar (2008)

Hurricane Katrina (2005)

Hurricane Rita (2005)

1998 Hurricane Mitch (Hondurus)

1900 Galveston hurricane

Hurricane Charley (2004)

Hurricane Isabel (2003)

Hurricane Andrew (1992)

Bangladesh Flooding (1998)

Typhoon Toraji, Taiwan (2001)

Severe Weather/Floods

1976 Thompson Canyon (Colorado) flash flood

1997 Antelope Canyon, Arizona flash flood

1992 Hurricane Andrew

1925 Tri-state tornado (or other tornadoes)

1993 Great Midwest Flood

The 1938 Flood in southern California

2008 Great Midwest Flood